DSWD seeks supplies replenishment

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is moving quickly to replenish its stocks of family food packs (FFPs), ready-to-eat food (RTEF) packs, and non-food items (NFIs) in areas devastated by super typhoon “Uwan,” Secretary Rex Gatchalian announced Monday.

Gatchalian identified the Bicol Region, Caraga and Central Visayas as “hungry Field Offices” that urgently require additional supplies. He instructed regional directors to provide timely updates and ensure their warehouses are quickly restocked to keep up with the demand.

“The Field Offices that have greater need should be quickly restocked [with new] supplies. These ‘hungry FOs’ are our priority,” Gatchalian said.

The replenishment of FFPs and other relief items is scheduled to begin Wednesday, 12 November, for immediate delivery to the DSWD’s regional Field Offices. Gatchalian stressed the need to maximize warehouse capacity to prevent shortages, noting the high demand for assistance from many municipalities.

The DSWD reported that it has already provided more than P6.4 million in initial humanitarian assistance to communities affected by super typhoon “Uwan,” which includes prepositioned FFPs and NFIs.

In response to the crisis, the department has increased its FFP production from a regular daily rate of 18,000 to 25,000 packs. Mobile command centers, mobile kitchens, water trucks, and water treatment units have also been deployed to affected areas.

Gatchalian further instructed regional directors to consistently monitor internally displaced persons and locally-stranded individuals and ensure the smooth rollout of the Emergency Cash Transfer once ready.

The agency also called for volunteers to help in preparing and packing food aid at its disaster response center in Luzon, located at Chapel Road, Barangay 195, Pasay City, and its Visayas counterpart in Tingub Mandaue, Cebu.